Author
Topic: SimpleDesk 2.0 Anatidae (Read 21248 times)

Gruffen

After two months of testing in monitored production environments, we're happy to finally release the 'gold' version of SimpleDesk 2.0, codenamed Anatidae.

SimpleDesk 2.0 is fully compatible with SMF 2.0 final, and that is the only officially supported platform for its use. You can grab either .zip or .tar.gz, your preference, from http://www.simpledesk.net/download/

There's nothing hugely new since the release candidate earlier in the summer, it's almost entirely bug fixes, as well as some under-the-hood stuff. I would strongly encourage anyone running the release candidate to upgrade, you won't lose your helpdesk or tickets or anything, and it will fix some bugs that crept in.

As ever, before installing any mod, we would encourage you to back things up before installing - just in case. While we're pretty confident it'll work out of the box, it never hurts to be protected!

If you're using 1.0 and wondering whether it's worth upgrading, the answer is almost unequivocally yes. I mean, take a look through http://www.simpledesk.net/community/index.php?topic=978.0 to see what's been added in 2.0. Custom Fields, Email Notifications and Departments, are probably enough to encourage anyone to upgrade, and there is plenty more besides to entice upgraders!

Important: There are also 4 plugins you can download for SimpleDesk, which you will find from the Package Manager > Download Packages > SimpleDesk Plugins option.

They're installed as normal mods, but managed through SimpleDesk, and do not require any edits to anything in order to successfully work.

I did want this to be something of an 'encore' moment for SimpleDesk, as there is some bad news in with the good. For multiple reasons that you can find if you go looking, I'm not going to be hanging around after this release. In multiple ways, it's time for me to move on from SimpleDesk. Last year, when I moved on, I'd just run out of steam to work on things, followed by earlier this year, when I found myself in a position to contribute a lot to the project, and so it happened. Trouble is, some other stuff happened, things I'm really uncomfortable with, and because of that, it is time I take my leave of SimpleDesk - instead of leaving it mid development, leaving it hanging as happened last year, it feels so much more right to close it on a high: SimpleDesk 2.0 is undoubtedly a high note, and it's something I'm mostly proud of having achieved.

I do want to note something: this wasn't a solo effort; I may have written the bulk of the code, but it's certainly far from a solo effort. I want to thank tfs and spoogs for putting up with my raging temper, and helping me shape SimpleDesk into something quite wonderful, and SleePy for helping me in myriad ways over the months with some of the things that I encountered during its development - and of course, each and every person who has contributed in their own way to the project. There have been a lot of names that have cropped up in the last 18 months in terms of contributions, many of whom I have sadly forgotten in the midst of everything else, but each and every contribution made a difference, and that's what counts.

I just have a few things to tidy up here on the site in the wake of the release, but once that's done, I will bid you farewell, and spread this collection of bytes back to the wilderness that is the Internet.

See you around the Internet-- Arantor

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Gruffen

Oh, and one other thing. In case anyone's wondering, the choice of today is not an accident. Some of you may know that just three weeks into SD's development, I unfortunately lost my father. It was down to him a long time ago that I learned to program - he's the one who taught me.

Today would have been his 62nd birthday (well, it's still 23rd August in a lot of places! I was just a bit late getting things sorted out!) so it seemed quite fitting, and having a certain symmetry that it should be today that I made the release, given the effect his passing had on me during the early days of SD's life.

2.0 is indeed a high note... as much as I hate to see you go (though I understand the reasons), I can't express how thankful and appreciative I am that SD 2.0 has come to light. It was certainly a pleasure working with you, helping out where I could.

Best of luck to you... as if I don't know where to find ya

Spoogs.

p.s. My condolence and it's really a great way to honour your dad and/or celebrate his birthday.

2.0 is indeed a high note... as much as I hate to see you go (though I understand the reasons), I can't express how thankful and appreciative I am that SD 2.0 has come to light. It was certainly a pleasure working with you, helping out where I could.

+1

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...as if I don't know where to find ya

He's easy to find indeed. Or maybe he is everywhere on the internet.

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p.s. My condolence and it's really a great way to honour your dad and/or celebrate his birthday.

+1

It's been a great ride, Pete. I might not be much of a bug hunter these days. But I'm glad that SD 2.0 had come to light. SD is one hell of a mod, the best I've seen. It's a pleasure working with ya indeed.

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"I was given the wardrobe of a nobleman, and so I played the part, a puppet ever dancing for the amusement of patrons unseen. This wretched world does not reward endeavour. It is the patron and his troupe who are receipt, maggots grown fat on endeavour's corpse. Most men but play the part they're given. Most live and die not knowing they play a part at all. But I am past all that now. I am their unwitting puppet no longer! No more! I will extract from them the price of their gluttonous feast! ~ Delita Heiral